It is a well-known fact that if you perform Pilates on the regular, it will immensely improve your posture. Are you that guy/girl with the hunched back, slumped/rounded shoulders? Or the one with the head hanging and slouching at the desk? Did you know that prolonged poor posture can dramatically affect your health? That’s right! Although it’s a slow process, it happens. Your body structure changes gradually, adapting to the unnatural positions it’s being subjected to. This results in misalignment and you guessed it, pain.
Poor postural habits cause ‘asymmetrical muscle development’. This basically means ‘certain muscle groups are constantly being overworked to hold the body upright, while others are ignored and become significantly weakened, resulting in lopsided or uneven muscle development.
The most common pains associated with bad posture are upper & lower back aches, shoulder, neck and arm pain, lower limbs, leg, hip, knee and ankle pain included. All these pains are caused by prolonged buildup of pressure on the tissues. And the funny thing is that it is self-inflicted.
All Pilate exercises (if done correctly) promote better posture because they use the deep core muscles (abs, back, pelvic floor), which strengthens those muscles and relaxes the shoulder and neck resulting in a better posture. Here are three effective Pilate moves we would personally recommend:
1. Spine Twist
This is done by inhaling as you stand upright with your feet together, then exhaling as you stretch out your arms (shoulder length), inhaling again as you twist to the right, and exhaling as you return to the center. Inhale again and twist to the left and exhale as you return to the center. Repeat the cycle 10-12 times and that’s it.
2.Full Body Roll Up & Down
This is actually one of the basic Pilate exercises. And quite simple but very effective. Lie down straight with hands on the back of your head and legs straight ahead. Now tilt your chin down and arms forward, curl your upper body as slowly as you can till your hands reach your toes. Repeat 8 to 10 times a week, and feel the difference.
3.Prone Exercise
This is arguably the most challenging of the three. But that might also mean it is arguably the most effective. In order to do this properly, your navel will have to be drawn into the spine to maintain core activation so as to support the core muscles located in the lower back. Now lie down with your legs straight and arms bent to the side. Raise the right arm and the left leg, count to five and extend the right arm. Switch to the other leg and arm. Repeat regularly and notice the difference.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to do these exercises correctly, be sure to do them regularly and you will have that confident posture that exudes poise, elegance and grace.
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